1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to improvements in sidebank excavators and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a sidebank excavator having a rotary vertical cutting assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A general description of the prior art relating to sidebank excavators may be found in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,778,912; 3,897,640 and 3,916,554. In such apparatus, it is not unusual to combine a horizontally oriented cutting assembly with a vertically oriented cutting assembly to provide for a notching effect of an embankment or the like. In such configurations, it is most commonly taught to construct the horizontal and vertical cutting assemblies as fixed cutting edges which act similar to a plow when forced into and along an embankment. However, even in the ingenius bidirectional configuration taught in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,912, vast amounts of energy are devoted to moving the vertical cutter assembly by brute force along the embankment.
As can be seen in such apparatus as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,525, the use of rotary cutting assemblies in horizontal configurations is well known in the road construction art. However, even in view of the power conserving characteristics of rotary cutters, it has not heretofore been generally proposed to equip sidebank excavators with rotary vertical cutting assemblies. Much less has it been proposed to provide such rotary vertical cutting assemblies with bidirectional cutters to further improve upon the decided operational advantages inherent in the bidirectional design embodied in the excavator taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,912.